4/17/2023 NTSB data base search results:
Posts Tagged ‘Rotorcraft’
Preliminary NTSB report on the tragic 12/29/2022 Gulf of Mexico helicopter crash at the West Delta 106 A platform
Posted in accidents, Gulf of Mexico, Offshore Energy - General, tagged 4 fatalities, Bell 407, helicopter crash, NTSB, Rotorcraft, Walter Oil and Gas on January 18, 2023| Leave a Comment »
The attached NTSB report includes details on the timing of the accident, observations from personnel remaining on the platform, condition of the helipad, nature and location of the debris, and the recovery of the fuselage and separated tail boom. The engine control unit (ECU) was recovered and sent to an NTSB lab for data extraction.
More on the tragic Gulf of Mexico helicopter crash (12/29/2022)
Posted in accidents, Gulf of Mexico, Offshore Energy - General, Regulation, tagged 4 fatalities, BSEE, David Scarborough, FAA, helicopter crash, Island Operating Co., Lacy Scarborough, NTSB, Rotorcraft, Walter Oil and Gas on January 9, 2023| Leave a Comment »
- The bodies of the 4 victims have been recovered.
- The 3 offshore workers were employees of Island Operating Co., a production contractor. The pilot worked for Rotorcraft Leasing Company, the owner of the Bell 406 helicopter that crashed. The platform is owned by Walter Oil and Gas, the operating company.
- A preliminary FAA report confirms that the helicopter crashed onto the helideck during takeoff, breaking apart and falling into the Gulf.
- 4 passengers had been dropped off at the platform before the fatal takeoff. Presumably there were witnesses to the incident.
- According to the FAA report, the platform was located at West Delta Block 106. Per the BOEM platform data base, the platform was installed in 1994, is in 252′ of water, and is continuously manned.
- Per the BSEE INC data base, the platform had not been cited for any violations since 2016.
Lacy Scarborough, wife of victim David Scarborough, is pregnant. Tragically, the couple lost their first child in an accidental drowning in March. David was heading home for the holidays after completing his 2 week shift on the platform. He had worked offshore for 8 years. Per Lacy, David’s last message was that he was taking off and would be home soon.
The only other victim who has been identified is Tim Graham of Quitman, Mississippi.
I trust that the NTSB will conduct a timely and thorough investigation, and hope they consider offshore helideck oversight, both in terms of industry programs and government regulation. The most recent Coast Guard – BSEE MOA for fixed platforms added to helideck regulatory uncertainty by assigning decks and fuel handling to BSEE and railings and perimeter netting to the Coast Guard. This is the antithesis of holistic, systems-based regulation.
More on the crash: ominous message, update #3
Update #3: Gulf of Mexico helicopter crash
Posted in accidents, Gulf of Mexico, Uncategorized, tagged BSEE, fatalities, Gulf of Mexico, helicopter crash, Rotorcraft, Walter Oil and Gas on December 30, 2022| 1 Comment »
- This was the second crash for the operator (Rotorcraft) in two weeks, its second fatal for the year, and the third in the Gulf of Mexico since October.
- On December 15, a Rotorcraft Leasing Bell 206L-4 with three aboard crashed while taking off from a platform 35 miles south of Terrebonne Bay, Louisiana. In that accident, one of the helicopter’s skids caught under the helipad’s perimeter railing, and the aircraft fell into the water below. (We have concerns that yesterday’s incident may have had a similar cause.)
- On October 26, a Westwind Helicopters Bell 407 with three aboard crashed into the Gulf 25 miles south of Morgan City, Louisiana after the pilot apparently experienced an in-flight medical emergency and told his front seat passenger he “was not going to make it” and then slumped over the controls. The front-seat passenger then attempted to gain control of the helicopter prior to the water impact. After several hours, both passengers were rescued with serious injuries, but the pilot died. (This is why I never liked single pilot aircraft.)
- Another of the company’s Bell 407s crashed on January 14 near Houma, Louisiana, killing both occupants. A witness to the accident said the helicopter appeared to dive nose-down into terrain. To date, investigators in that accident have not discovered any mechanical or structural failure that would account for that crash.
Get to work HSAC, NTSB, BSEE, USCG, FAA, and all others who are involved with offshore helicopter safety.
Not a word about this tragedy on the Rotorcraft, Walter Oil & Gas, or BSEE websites, and no public statements can be found. At a minimum, one would have expected condolences to the families and a commitment to find out what happened and prevent recurrences.
Update #2: Gulf of Mexico helicopter crash
Posted in accidents, Gulf of Mexico, tagged Gulf of Mexico, helicopter crash, Rotorcraft, Walter Oil and Gas on December 30, 2022| Leave a Comment »
From Lars Herbst:
- Tragically, the pilot and 3 passengers are assumed dead.
- Aircraft reported as Bell 407, a very common smaller aircraft used in the GOM
- Crashed on departure; apparently hit the helideck before tumbling into the Gulf
- Second Rotorcraft helicopter to go down in the Gulf in three months
The next Helicopter Safety Advisory Conference (HSAC) meeting, scheduled for January 18-19 in Houston, is now urgent.
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 